China President Xi Jinping on Monday told citizens to be prepared for challenges ahead, adding that Taiwan belongs to China and that Beijing opposes any moves towards Taiwan’s bid for freedom. His firm warning to pro-independence groups came on the eve of China’s National Day. Speaking at a reception in Beijing to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Xi also expressed optimism that the Chinese people would continue to make significant achievements and play a bigger role in promoting global peace and development.
On the new journey in the new era, the central task of the ruling Communist Party and the country is building China into a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernisation, Xi was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Heading the Party, the military and the Presidency, 71-year-old Xi is currently in his unprecedented third five-year term in power, unlike his predecessors who relinquished their posts adhering to the Party’s convention of restricting their tenures to two five-year terms.
“Be prepared for the future and resolutely overcome all uncertainties,” the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted Xi as saying in his address, in an apparent reference to the growing strategic rivalry with the US.
He also said Taiwan was “China’s sacred territory” and “the people on both sides of the [Taiwan] Strait are connected by blood”.
